


Ma Lath

by Meghan Callahan (cuddlybunny)



Series: Skyhold Stories [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Implied Relationships, Original Character-centric, original timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:45:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4033975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuddlybunny/pseuds/Meghan%20Callahan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raiyna Arainai and Fenris have had a rocky relationship since Kirkwall.  They're constantly fighting, wanting to make up, but never finding the words to do so.  When Cole lets slip their feelings for one another, it shakes them both up; the only question is what they plan on doing about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ma Lath

**Author's Note:**

> This more-or-less follows my own timeline; a blend of the canon Dragon Age timeline and some of my own creation.
> 
> Raiyna is Zevran's daughter by my Warden, Helmi Sayer. However, Helmi sacrificed her own life (depending on the canon either to the Archdemon or in order to save King Alistair from assassins) and the spirits she worshipped formed Raiyna from the Fade and the soul of Helmi and Zev's unborn child; she aged very quickly for the first five years until she was the same age Helmi was when she died. Since then, she's aged normally. When Fenris ran from Danarius, Raiyna and Zevran took him in and that's how the two met. She was with them and Hawke against Corypheus the first time. 
> 
> Orena is the daughter of Sten and a non-warden Ferelden woman. She and her older sister Sumey were aged by the time-space displacement of the Rifts. She is in a three-way open relationship with The Iron Bull and Dorian. Yeah, there's a fic on that to follow.
> 
> This was actually my first time sitting down and writing so many canons at once. I had way too much fun with Dorian, to be honest. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

_He likes to give you kisses on your cheek while you're sleeping. It's how he says he loves you._

Raiyna stood on the balcony of her chambers in Skyhold, looking out across the mountains. She had pulled on the massive black velvet cape, with the black fur collar and shoulders, that Dorian had bought for her. Waving off all of her protests against it. It kept her warm when yet another cold breeze blew through the range, ruffling her light brown hair a little against her light brown cheek.

_It's how he says he loves you._

The half-elf huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Mother, I wonder if this was as hard for you and Father. More than likely not.” A few flakes of errant snow from the mountaintops blew toward her face, “I don't think that I could say anything to him without...fouling it up.” Even speaking to her mother's wandering spirit, she couldn't bring herself to curse to the Hero of Ferelden, “What in Thedas would I even say? 'I've been fighting with you all this time because I'm more frustrated with myself than with you, but your views on magic make me sad...'” She trailed off, walking over to the railing and sitting on it, “'Because I fear it might mean that you will hate me.'”

She rubbed her eye with the heel of her palm, lying to herself, saying it was the wind.

“'And if you hated me, what else is there for me to fight for?'” Raiyna jumped at the sound of the male voice, barely catching herself to keep from toppling over. Though, as soon as she saw the figure in the doorway, she debated whether that was the wisest idea.

“How long were you standing there?” She looked away from the white-haired elf, crossing her arms over her chest a little tighter.

“Long enough,” Fenris stated, starting to cross the room to the open doors to the balcony, “Long enough to know that you probably shouldn't talk to your dead mother as if she's right there next to you.”

She ground her teeth, clenching her fists, “How I deal with my mother's death is my business, not yours.” She snapped, hearing the sharpness in her voice coming back, the one that constantly flowed into her as soon as she saw him, “And anyway, you could have told me you were there! You didn't have to eavesdrop like some...some...”

“Crow?” Fenris supplied to her, and she fell silent, glaring away, “I would have, but, you seemed to be preoccupied. It would have been rude to interrupt.” He took another step toward her, “What the spirit said. It bothered you, and I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Raiyna almost opened her mouth, almost started to yell at him. Then fell silent again. “Fine,” She lied easily, even putting on a little smile, “My conversation with my mother has soothed my soul. Now, I believe the Inquisitor asked for me to-” She started to walk past him, before feeling the hand wrap around her wrist. She blinked, looking down at it, then looked back up at his face, “Take your hand off of me,” She demanded in an even voice, “Before I take it off for you.”

He sighed, but removed it. “I understand what you are doing.”

“I think you do not.” Raiyna stopped walking, shrugging off her cape as she stepped back into her room. Her shoulders felt lighter, but chilly without the amount of velvet and fur. She would have considered it further north for the intimidation if she would not have been sweating away most of her body weight.

“You're running. Hiding. As much as you possibly can, before you say something you're afraid is going to make the world around you crumble.” He stepped toward her, but she didn't step away this time, “You haven't grasped yet that if you keep running and hiding, it will break you from the inside. Make you hard and jaded. Constantly hurting...” Fenris reached up with a slow, shaky hand, cupped her cheek. She felt her own face flame and she became acutely aware of the cold metal claws at the end of his gauntlets, “...that pain is a hell I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, let alone you.”

She opened her mouth to ask what he meant. And found his on hers. She was frozen for a moment, and he pulled back. He watched her, like he was trying to decide if she hated it or not and if he should go. She couldn't decide if she did or not. Finally, his gaze dropped down to her dress, and his face twisted into a glare and a grimace all in one.

Dorian had made her go to the tailor, his tailor, just the other day. He'd said her closet was horrifying, and he'd taken all of her gray dresses, especially the ones she'd worn through to being threadbare. The dress she'd worn today was one of the ones he'd had made for her. It sat low on her shoulders, dark red like the color of good wine. The skirt flowed long, looser than she usually liked, the sleeves almost billowing around her wrists, but the waist came in very sharply, held against her body with a cincher of brown leather, decorated by hard silver rings.

“I don't like your new Tevinter clothes,” Fenris snarled, looking back at her. She glared back at him.

“I happen to like it,” She stated, putting her hand on her hip, “My new dresses are what I choose to wear! What right do you have to critique my clothes?”

“What...right? The right to tell you that the clothes make you look like a Tevinter bitch!” Fenris snapped.

“Well, thank you for that,” Raiyna sneered back at him, putting her hands on her hips, “Now that you're done calling me names, you can leave. Or I can. But, if you touch my wardrobe, Dorian will be very cross with you.”

“I don't care if the 'vint is cross with me, the clothes are hideous!”

“Don't call him a 'vint! Don't you dare! He's done nothing but try to be kind to both of us!”

“He's a 'vint and he's a mage!”

“Oh, here we go again! Mages, mages, mages! Are mages never the cause of the world's suffering?”

“You tell me, O Fade Creature!”

Fenris knew he had gone too far as soon as he said it. Raiyna had opened her mouth to rebut it when the full weight of the words hit her like a ton of bricks to the chest.

Fade. Creature.

Tears stung her eyes, a lump forming in her throat as she started toward the door.

“Raiyna,” Fenris started, reaching out to her.

“Don't touch me,” She said in a broken sob, “Don't you touch me, or come near me.” She pushed the door open, leaving a burnt in indent where her palm touched it, “Get out.”

“Raiyna, please, I'm-”

“I said get _out!”_ She shrieked at him, pointing. A tongue of flame licked through the air as she did, as her tears started to fall and her throat seemed to clench.

Fade creature. No different than the beings coming from the rift. A thing. Not a person.

He reached out and she turned her gaze from him. He walked past, and she slammed the door shut. Before falling onto her bed, dissolving into childish tears, her burning hands over her hot face, her legs tucked in close to her chest, trying to become as small a ball as possible.

A Fade Creature.

“Raiyna?” A different voice asked, and she barely looked up from her hands to see who it was as they opened the door, “Oh, sweetling, look at you.” Dorian moved toward her, approaching the bed carefully to avoid possibly being burnt, “What happened?”

“D-Dorian?” Raiyna sniffed, reaching up to wipe her eyes on the heel of her hand, but he was already brushing them away, “H-How-?”

“I saw the flames from the hall; an interesting color. I was headed to the library and all of a sudden, blue fire. Now, what happened?”

She sniffled again, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest, looking away. “Nothing.”

“'Nothing' doesn't explain the frankly savage new design in your door. Try again.”

He could always see through her somehow. She pulled her knees closer to herself. She looked away from him.

Dorian pursed his lips, just watched. Waited. Then sighed. “And you've gone and wrinkled your new dress,” He said, like he was trying to change the subject, clucking his tongue.

“You know, I have a mother, I don't need a second,” Raiyna grumbled, looking down at her dress.

There was a silence.

“I'm sorry,” The half-elf mumbled finally, looking back at him, “That was...rude. You're just trying to help.”

“It's all right. Now, are you going to spit it out or are we going to dance around it all day?” There was another brief silence, before Dorian gave a small smirk, “You and Fenris are going at it again, I presume.”

She sniffed, nodded, then burst into tears again. Dorian winced, “Oh dear,” He murmured, moving over to her and pulling her toward his chest, her head against his shoulder, “What did he say now, sweetling?”

Raiyna sobbed, her face in her hands again. She couldn't get the words out. Dorian frowned. “That bad?” He asked softly. She just nodded at first, before taking a deep breath in.

“H-He call-called me a Fade Creature. Like I'm n-n-not even a-”

“A person.” Dorian finished and she nodded again. His arms tightened around her, “There, there. Shhh...” He looked toward the door, before looking back down at her, “It'll all be all right.” He brushed her tears away again, pulling out her handkerchief from her sleeve. She'd never even thought about it. “Come. We're going to get you another new dress. A better one. And then you and I are going down to the tavern, where he is surely waiting and watching, and we are going to drink ourselves stupid and flirt with everyone we like. You'll feel better.”

Raiyna looked at him, then looked in a mirror. There was a stripe of red across her face from the tip of her nose almost to her forehead, and there were still ugly tear streaks down her cheeks. She looked back at him, gave a weak laugh. “I think I'm going to need more than a new dress in order to be in flirting shape.”

Dorian laughed, “Goodness, you're going to be the death of my coinpurse. Then again, you do sort of deserve it, after everything you've been through. All right. Come on. A full day of it, then. We'll do your hair as well...” He reached out, stroking the length of the brown locks, “Goodness, it is long. Have you ever considered getting it cut?”

She shook her head, pulling her hair away from him, “No! I love my hair.”

“It is lovely, I'll give you that. Nice and shiny and thick. I could do wonders with it.”

“You do hair as well?”

Dorian smirked, “Darling, you would be a bit shocked at some of the things I can do.”

That actually made Raiyna laugh, “No, I wouldn't. Have you met my father?”

“Oh, that is right. Very well, come on.”

 

-

 

“You know, Broody, the longer you leave it, the worse it's going to get.”

Fenris downed another large tankard, just staring at the wall. Varric sighed, rolling his eyes. “Fine,” He said, “But, if you don't apologize, she's going to hate you forever.”

Fenris looked into his cup. “She already hates me forever,” He grumbled, “And with good reason. I called her a _creature_ , Varric. A _Fade creature._ She probably thinks I think she's a demon or something similar.” He sighed, drinking yet more. Before choking on the sip he had been taking in as the door opened again and he saw who was coming in.

If he'd disliked the first Tevinter dress, this one was...worse. Rather than being long and flowing, it cut close to Raiyna's body. Black silk pulled appealingly tight across her bosoms, cut into a heart-shaped neckline to show off the best of her cleavage. Then came down, lining the smooth length of her waist until it was pressed as much as it was able into a flame red waist cincher. Not that it needed much cinching in the first place. The skirt clung to her hips, then flowed straight like a waterfall to the floor, with a fairly decent train behind her. She'd had her face made up, any tears that had been on her cheeks now dried and gone. Her eyes were lined with black kohl, and her lips were painted a dark red color. She'd pulled her hair up into an intricately braided style against the back of her head, showing just how low in the back the long-sleeved dress was cut. Almost to the top of her behind.

“...holy shit,” Varric said, also staring. Like everyone else in the place. And it surely wasn't because of the silver collar around her neck, with a thin chain running down to between her shoulder blades. Or the bracers of silver around her wrists. Or the money she was pulling from...somewhere and giving to the tender to start paying for rounds. “Looks like Sweetheart's not quite so sweet anymore.”

Fenris gulped a minute, nodding, before putting his cup down. Dorian pranced in, standing next to her, taking a cup and drinking his own beverage. The pale-haired elf curled his lip. This was his doing. Varric put a hand on his arm.

“Don't.” He stated calmly, “You're only going to make it worse.”

Fenris watched as she turned, hopped up onto the bar with her legs spread a little, drinking down the tankard so fast some of it dripped out of her mouth. Down her chin, along her neck. He wanted to follow it with his tongue, just to feel her shiver, hear her little gasp when he did. He watched the drip slide down a little lower, down between her breasts as she slammed the tankard down. He looked away, putting his own drink away.

“Who wants to hear me sing?” Fenris stopped as he heard her. Looked over at her as the rest of the bar stood up.

Varric sighed, shaking his head. “Too late,” He muttered, as the bard started a couple notes. It was low. Primal. And she was already moving. Fenris found himself unable to take his eyes off of her.

It started with her swaying, the fabric moving around her hips seductively. And then her hips started to roll, arms raising as she began to use her chest as well. A few of the Dalish elves started to pound their drinks and hands on the tables and bar as she started to half-walk, half-slither along said bar. The others began as well.

“ _Eyes black/big paws/it's poison/and it's blood...”_ Her song seemed to heat everyone's blood. His as well, as she looked at him from between her thick, dark lashes, then looked away. A stray lock of her hair slid out of the coiled braids, making him just want to reach up and shake the dark tresses loose again. Spirits, she was going to make him lose his mind.

“ _And big fire/big burn/into the ashes/and no return...”_ She formed flames in her hands, beginning to cast and manipulate them around her as if they were just another garment she was wearing. The elves all howled, the humans and dwarves soon joining in as well. She slid her arms up around her, moving the other way across the bar. She seemed to stagger once. Fenris moved through the crowd, in case she fell.

Didn't want her to kill herself over this, after all.

“ _We took you out from/your mother's womb/our temple/your tomb/Can be your pick/not pawned/it's poisonous/blood...”_ There was another round of howling, a few men reaching up to touch her as she began to dance. Or mimic slow, sensuous sex. He wasn't sure anymore, especially when she ran her hands down over herself, in a teasing caress, then sliding them up, all the way up her sides...her neck...up toward her hair.

“ _We've been calling...”_ She sang softly, “ _Black paw/who's soaring...We go out in the morning/down the trail/to somewhere...”_ Her eyes opened from where she had been lost in the melody, looking toward him, “ _You are the sound I hear/you are the sound I hear/We are not standing...we are falling...”_

There was another round of howling, a few of the men reaching toward her skirt. She laughed, shaking her head. A few more locks escaped.

Fenris looked toward those men who were pulling upon her, who wanted her. Who wanted to grab at her and give her kisses from their beer-swilling mouths, and shove their hands up her skirt and down her collar.

It seemed so dirty and ugly. Fenris shoved through the rest of them, stalking to the bar. He reached out, grabbing her around the knees and tossing her over his shoulders.

“Hey, put the lady down,” One of the guards snarled. Fenris glared back, and he could feel the lyrium coursing through his veins. Flying through the marks, making him more intimidating than usual. He turned, putting some coin on the bar. Stormed out.

“Put me down!” Raiyna howled, struggling against his grip, squirming despite his hold on her, “I said put me down, Fenris! Maker damnit, are you listening to me?”

He didn't get to her room. He got to his, shoving the door open and only waiting long enough to slam it shut behind him before dumping her onto the bed. She stared at him in shock, before sitting up. He looked at her and for a long few moments, the two of them were in silence.

“I'm not done being angry at you, you bastard!” Raiyna snapped, before he grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him. He sat on the bed, taking her over his knee. “Let me g-!”

His hand landed in a muffled smack on her ass, muffled only by the sound of the silk under his fingers. It silenced her and she looked up at him. He looked a little shocked himself. His hand rested on the place it had landed. He ran his thumb over the half-globe under his grip.

He didn't feel anything under the silken fabric. Nothing at all. He flushed, but merely pulled his hand back. She sat upright, staring at him, before she half-leaned and half-fell into him, her mouth on his. He kissed her back, his hands on her face, her hands settling over his.

They slid up his arms, fingers ghosting over the lyrium marks. He hissed, pulled back.

“I'm sorry,” She said, sitting up, “I didn't mean to hurt you.” She looked away, “Seems like all I ever do is hurt people now.”

“Sh.” Fenris leaned his forehead against hers, “I'm sorry. I should never have called you that.” He set his hand on her cheek, “You are so much more than anything I can put into words, Raiyna Arainai. Sometimes...it gets to be too much and I can't even think of the words to say.” He kissed her lips again, his hand sliding up from her cheek into her hair. Starting to work out the braids.

“Ouch,” Raiyna winced as his metal claws caught in a few strands. “Easy...” She looked at the claws, before kissing him again. He could get used to the taste of her, all spice and fire, with an otherworldly edge to it. He felt her fingers, feather-soft, undo the gauntlets around his hands. He let her work them off of his fingers as he undid the silver bracers. And then the collar.

The metal fell to the floor, his lips drifting from hers down to her neck. He followed the trail the little drips of ale had made, feeling that telltale shiver. As his lips crossed into the line of her breasts, softly licking the last little drops out, he heard a moan escape her lips.

He worked his way back up to her lips, starting to undo the top of her dress. She went straight for his breastplate. Yanking it off of him and dropping it with the other metal. She pulled back before he could slide off the fabric from her, before kissing down his neck, his chest. Avoiding his marks, but her breath touched them. It didn't hurt. It felt...good.

Raiyna looked up, hovering just above the belt over his pants, her lips poised just above the painful, aching erection. Even if she didn't know it. But, she gave him a little smirk, and he was sure she did. She yanked off his belt, tossing it to the side. “Lift your hips for me?”

The soft, slightly husky tone of voice...that part of her could get him to do anything. He slowly lifted up his hips as she yanked his pants off in one tug as well. “Raiyna...”

She already had the length of him in her hand, softly stroking him. He groaned again, his fingers bunching a little in the sheets.

He raised his head. Looked down at her when she stopped. Then, she kissed the head. He could have come right there, but he held off. She took him into her mouth, starting to suck on him, the way he had-

No. He couldn't think of Danarius, not now. All he could think of was her soft lips, the sweetness of her tongue, the pleasure rocketing up through his body.

She pulled away at the last moment, moving over him with a blush. “...Fenris, are you okay?” She asked softly.

Panting, he nodded. “Fine. More than fine.” He sat up, “Let's get you out of those ugly Tevinter clothes,” He rumbled.

“They're not ugly!” Raiyna protested, before realizing what he was saying and blushing. She raised her arms as he slid the dress off of her, but looked away when he looked down at her.

His fingers entwined with hers, the other hand turning her face back to his. “You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” Fenris murmured, leaning down and kissing her lips. She kissed him back as he slid his hand down over her silken skin, pressing her back into the bed. Softly, slowly. His thumb slid down between her breasts, brushing the skin of her stomach, then lower.

He loved the taste of her little moan as his fingers slid through the wild dark curls between her thighs, running over her lower lips. Feeling her already hot there. He slipped his thumb down, between them, gently rubbing the little bundle of nerves there.

Her moan grew a little louder, her fingers in his hair now. Tangled, gently pulling him to her. Her hands felt hot, too hot for any living thing to rightly be. Fenris pulled his mouth from hers, finally having to breathe. Her back arched her up into him as his thumb continued to work on her. Another soft whimper escaped, her hips moving up against his hand.

His lips moved down her neck and he brushed the pulse there with his teeth, sliding a finger inside of her. Her hands tightened in his hair as he kissed down her shoulder, scraping her skin softly as he worked his way to her breast.

He pumped his finger in and out of her, his thumb still rolling the bundle of nerves under the calloused pad. Her voice rose in volume, a few words in Antivan escaping between her lips. He kissed her breast, saw her jump a little.

A half-smirk crossed his lips. “Sensitive?” He asked. She opened her eyes, glaring at him, but it was half-hearted as he pushed his finger inside a little deeper this time. Her hands released his hair, clenching in the sheets next to her hips, a little moan of 'bastard' actually coming out this time.

He pulled his finger from her, his hand dripping from her arousal. “I guess so,” He purred, kissing up to her mouth again before she could say anything to him. They weren't going to fight. Not tonight, not now.

“Fenris,” Raiyna looked at him, her eyes on his as he pulled away, “Fenris, please. I need you.” She bit her bottom lip, all of a sudden the blushing maiden again. “Please, _ma lath_.”

The words lit him aflame as easily as if she had conjured fire from her hands. He stared at her, wondering if she knew what she had just said. If she understood how deep that ran, at least for him. She reached for his face, sitting up a little before him. Her hand rested on his cheek, her thumb sliding over his bottom lip.

“ _Ma lath,_ ” She repeated, her voice but a whisper.

Fenris pulled back for but a moment, before he leaned in, kissing her so hard he was sure he was hurting her. But, she kissed him back with the same intensity. He had no hesitation as he grasped her thighs, laying her torso back against the bed as he brought her pelvis to his.

He kissed her as if he were trying to consume her. Trying to make her one with him. Slowly but surely, he leaned out across her, hands gripping her buttocks and pulling her upon him as he pushed in. She moaned, loudly, against his mouth, closing her eyes and resting her forehead on his. There was a spark, as if her Fade-blood met his lyrium marks and they began to sing together.

His fingers laced with hers as they moved together, became one. Her mouth met his again, teeth catching his bottom lip. It scraped a little when he pulled back.

He buried his face in her neck, his hands entwined with hers as if he feared to let go would be to lose her. To lose everything. Her hands tightened on his, her voice rising and falling in a song all its own, one that echoed in his blood, down to his core.

“Fenris,” She moaned, over and over again, “ _Ma lath!”_

His voice was not long in joining hers. He had been quiet for years, in those few times he had dared come close to anyone, close enough to let them touch him.

He sang her name as if he were a blushing virgin again, as if this were his first night with a woman in his bed. Not quite as loud, not quite as strong, but when his lips faltered, hers were already on them. Drinking down his words, his hesitation, his pleasure, and giving it back to him with her own.

She pulled her mouth from his, hiding her face now. “F-Fenris...” She whispered into his skin, “Fenris, I'm so close. Please...”

Her nails dug into the back of his hand, leaving little crescent marks. He knew he was doing the same to her.

“Please, _ma lath_ ,” She whispered, her lips brushing his neck in little kisses, “Please, don't stop.”

Fenris pulled back, just a little, looking into her eyes. The way that they looked deep, forest green in the light of only the candle, half-lidded with pleasure, pleasure of his making. That was the shocking part, that after so long...not only was she able to make him feel, but he was able to make her feel as well.

“Never,” He whispered, “I will never, ever stop. Not until you ask.” He leaned down, kissing her lips. He thrust deeper, and he felt her around him. He felt the fire in her cry out just as she did, the way it zinged through the marks in his skin. When she came, she came almost undone, and he did his best to hold her together.

She lay under him, panting, before she ever so gently removed her hand from his. Nudged his shoulder. Pushed him onto his back, never removing him from her body, and she settled herself above him. A little half-smirk crossed her lips again, and she caught the bottom lip between her teeth.

“Raiyna...” He started, but, she moved her hips upon him and his words were lost in the growl that came from him. She set his hands on her hips as she rode him, her head tilted back as she squirmed, whimpering.

His fingers tightened. He was so close. He could feel it. But, watching her, the way she arched and moved, graceful in the moonlight, he didn't want to stop.

And then he came. And his mind seemed to go white.

All at once, the two toppled back onto the mattress together, Raiyna slowly pulling him out and just lying on the pillow beside him, trying her best to breathe.

Fenris reached out a shaky hand, afraid this was a dream. She took his, gingerly this time, not touching the blue glowing marks. Settled it to her cheek.

“ _Ma lath,_ ” He repeated the words shakily, his mouth clumsy around the old elvish. Her eyes widened, and she stared at him, as he was sure he had gaped at her earlier. Then, she smiled.

“ _Ma lath,_ ” She murmured back, leaning forwad and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. He kissed her back, pulling her against his body. “We should sleep,” She murmured, pausing, “Would you let me sleep beside you tonight?” She asked.

“If you like,” Fenris murmured, in a tone that told her that no, she wasn't going anywhere. She just smiled, snuggling into him.

 

-

 

Dorian smirked, looking calmly toward the grey-skinned girl just behind his left shoulder. “And that, my dear, is my three silver.”

“Damn,” Orena snorted, digging the coins out of her purse, before putting them in his hand, “All right, Pavus, I'll admit it, you're good.” She flipped her hair away from her face, “But, I guarantee you, there's no way that you're going to make the daughter of _Anders_ palatteable for the Chantry Prince of _Starkhaven_.”

The mage raised an eyebrow at the Ben-Hassrath agent. “Really?” He asked, “Care to wager?”

“Fine,” Orena shrugged, “But, we'll do it for something a little more interesting than coin this time,” She grinned, showing slightly pointed teeth.

He cocked his hip to one side, crossing his arms over his chest, “What did you have in mind?” He purred at her, liking the way it caught her a little off-guard. As much as he wasn't sexually attracted to women, he had to admit that she had a certain aesthetic charm to her.

“Well, you win, and I'll see about leaving that whole amulet thing alone.”

Now, the mage stopped, his smirk fading, “I don't know as I like this wager.”

“I win, and not only do I get the crest back for you, you, me and Bull finally sit down and talk about the three of us for real. Like we've been avoiding. Deal?”

He looked at her hand as if it were one of a Desire demon. Orena pulled it back, shrugging.

“Well, if you can't do it, you can't do it. It's not a big matter.” She turned, starting to walk away. Damn, she had him.

“All right,” Dorian said, “Fine. I agree to the wager.” He pointed, “But, if I win, it's a whole week without watching for you, as well.”

Orena gasped. “That's terrible,” She protested, “I don't watch!”

“Really?”

Her affronted face dissolved into giggles, “You two just look so hot. A girl can't help herself. All right, a whole week with no watching.” She shook his hand.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I really did put my heart into this. Stay tuned for more one-shots, including more on Dorian, Orena and Bull, of course the explanation of Anders' daughter and Sebastian, also a shorty about Helmi and one of her deaths. Plus, finally something about my Inquisitor, Vasa Lavellan! Kudos and notes appreciated, flames aren't.


End file.
